Do you think humans, in general, are basically evil?

Here is the truth

the season of quietude after the exuberant lifeforce of summer, I have turned my thoughts to the hero of my life, who has just quietly died...

and realized that actual heroism receives no oration, entertains no one. No one queues up to see it. No one is interested.

It alludes ot a state of mind in which a human being can set aside boredom to experience reality calmly and openly appreciating it for its richness without demanding from it anything as easy or satisfying or ready-made.

Not everybody is able to find this state of mind but everybody is looking for it. It is about pain, humanity's pain, anybody's pain, about your pain.

Vaclav Havel died few moths back at the age of 75. In the euphoric days in 1989 after he went from ex-political prisoner to President of Czechoslovakia I was there,

on the city square, one of the many students demanding change. He was an absurdist playwright who led the bloodless Velvet Revolution that toppled one fo Eastern Europe's coldest Cold War regimes.

He was thrust into a role he did not choose of teaching his countrymen what it means to build freedom.

He came from a little country but his message spoke to the world - a world that is now a different place without him.

He died quietly suffering from a recurring dream that the old secret police showed up and threw him back to jail.

The truth is that type of heroism is rare and yet we live in an age of transformation. We are more connected as a world than we ever have been.

What happens in one part of the world has an immediate impact on the other. We are in a 24/7 information drill, but we have lost our moral compass.

We have the greatest inequity since the 30s Depression. 17 of the richest countries in the world have gone backward on equality and 210 million people are out of work.

Leaders around the world slowly realize that we need to talk about innovation, sustainability and reform, not just about corporation and greed.

We do need transformation, but the question is, what values should we set for ourselves. Good or evil, just because all of us have powerful inborn traits doesn't mean we can't stretch the limits of our personalities when the stakes are high enough.

We need to balance three equal identities: our inborn personality, the expectations of our culture and family and our personal desires and our sense of what matters.

Are we going to let thing wash over us or are we going to strike out and change and grow and challenge?

Comments 69 comments

The content of your story remains a contraversial one. In the States, many believe that the younger generation is being desensitized by a bombardment of violence via video games, T.V.,movies, as well as accepted violence in schools,extreme sports,Kick boxing, etc.

Too bad! I believe this to be contrary to the awakening of mankind, as we come out of an era of war,and subsequent conquest; that has lasted no less than 500 years.

No, I think we are just balanced between the two. There are extreme examples of humans tending to be more evil than not, but as a whole people are changing - we are running out of excuses to make war on each other. In fact, I think we do evil as a distraction from the greatness as a species we should be doing.

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thank you Parks for your insightful comment that broadens the horizon and brings lots of discussion on the table...I love contraversial themes with open ending, it is up to a reader to find the right answer for himself/herself:)...

Thank you Eugene for joining in, as I said more discussion the better solution for us at the end:) We are not doomed if we care....

hoteltravel 4 years ago from Thailand

No man is completely good or bad. All of us come in different shades of gray. This said, I don't agree when people say that mankind is getting worse. We are becoming more aware of the consequences of evil deeds. At least a small percentage is trying to improve the situation. I can't agree with Robert F. Kennedy more. You have done a great job in dealing with a controversial topic. Voted up.

Civil War Bob 4 years ago from Glenside, Pennsylvania

G'day Beata!! Interesting, beautiful, voted up hub! I've often observed that people are basically bad, based not only on my Biblical world life view, but on the fact that you don't have to teach your children to misbehave and if you put a bunch of toddlers in a room together you get what Edwin Starr sang about in 1969...WAR...UNNNH... Have a great day and thanks for your compliments and following!

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thanks guys for your beautiful compliments and great insights to this controversial topic...evil or not, we are still great bunch, aren't we?

I have worked in Child Care for years so I know what you are talking about, Bob...survival instinct kicks in first...social skills will follow if drilled over and over to be forgotten again in teenager years:)

SubRon7 4 years ago from eastern North Dakota

Very interesting--and beautiful--words, Beata Stasak, I especially liked what you said toward the end, that if suffering goes out of our lives, maybe so will tenderness, etc. Profound thoughts. Makes sense to me, sort of a balance, counter-balance: Without evil we can never experience good.

I don't think humans are basically evil, but to protect a loved one I think almost anyone can "become" as evil as necessary.

diogenes 4 years ago from UK and Mexico

Hmmm. What is "evil" for one generation is acceptable, even applauded in another. I think evil is a word which can only apply metaphysically....like the devil is evil. Humans suffer from varying degrees of mental ilness which makes them neurotic, pathological and homicidal, etc., or well functioning and "normal" as compared to the morays of the day in which they live..

Evil implies a dark force over which we have no knowledge or control.

Bob

Jackwms 4 years ago

I am a 76 year old who believes people are basically good. I have 4 grown sons who are all good, kind, loving fathers and who would not knowingly cheat or hurt another person. My statement is not religiously oriented as I am an Atheist. But, I (we) showed them from infancy that this was the way of the world. So, I go back to the word, "basically" or inherently. I think most would become selfish and self centered if they weren't taught (shown) to give and to share. If beaten, ignored, and treated poorly, yes, they could turn out mean and vengeful.

So, that is my answer. No person is basically evil. Each of us is capable of loving and being loved. We are not evil by nature.

Scribenet 4 years ago from Ontario, Canada

Beata, I love the comments on this Hub! The subject matter is fascinating, especially for writers pondering this age old question. My personal thought is humans are basically good. There is certainly evil out there and humans have a huge capacity for evil. However, my opinion is that most evil is born of fear and ignorance of others. I especially agree with Bob regarding human conditions.

Good requires courage. Fear is easier to succumb to as a particular group hating something. Good requires some fortitude and we have it, but like Vaclav Havel it takes a special individual to light the way to progress in each generation!

Larry Fields 4 years ago from Northern California

Voted up.

We humans are often more complex than we give ourselves credit for being. An online friend is one of the kindest people I've ever met in cyberspace. She's also a Goth.

I looked that up in Wikipedia, and there was too much information for me to grasp the essence. I asked her about that. She explained that for her, it was about embracing one's dark side, without becoming evil.

hirundine 4 years ago from Nelson, B.C. Canada

Personality as defined by Carl Jung, Meyer-Briggs and others; is important to divining an answer, to your question. Carl Jung first established that humans are religious by nature.

This means that we already are born with a sense of awe about divinity, whether or not it actually exists. We are born with our personality. We cannot change our personality. Yet this personality is a flexible thing. It's how we each perceive the world we're in.

While most people are basically good, when born. Through life; we are given choices about this life and exactly how much, we are willing to gain and profit from others? Your personality is what allows you to participate in, or shun those choices.

It is easy for those people with little conscience about other people's circumstance. To perpetrate evil, or create chaos. Which brings them more profit, than peace would.

It was Plato who first observed, in 465BCE, or so. That, "Good people do not need laws telling them what to do and the bad just find ways to get around them". Little has changed since then.

My personality, tells me. Not to worry about others, perceived evil? To just make sure that my own act is right. The universal law of every action, has an equal and opposite one. Is the law of karma.

In witchcraft it is said; that the pentagon is the shape. Through which evil is allowed to enter our universe? If this is so? Just looking around at all the five-pointy stars, there seems to be an endemic of evil. Could lend one to the conclusion, too; that this is a demon planet?

Life in itself seems to lead to a higher place; that the laws of karma are what gives us each our karmic reward.

The karmic wheel grinds on ....

f_hruz 4 years ago from Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Great hub ... you are touching on some interesting questions!

I can see that humans - as a life form - have a problem not knowing and not being very interested to know what our most beneficial relationship to nature should be - globally, as thinking beings, individually and collectively.

A - Should we live as if nature was here for us to dominate, exploit, pollute and consume, destroy, rape and make into cash for corporations to profit from, or

B - Should we learn how to live in much greater harmony with nature, knowing it's our only real support system which has provided for our own, and that of all other life forms on this planet to co-exist in one continuous, mutual exchange, where good and bad bacteria has as much value and importance for our own well being and chance of survival as some of the best drugs we have managed to develop?

C - Are we so totally different from nature, we can't even be bothered to learn to understand other highly intelligent forms of life among us, like whales and dolphins? Can't we be bothered to learn with them and from them because we are so self centered and pre-occupied with replacing nature using human technology?

D - Maybe nature gave us the ability to develop scientific ideas to ultimately discover how to bring about the greatest change through nuclear destruction because we are basically no more than a self-absorbed, semi-intelligent, religious fungus not able to understand the best of what nature has to offer?

There are a lot more questions which should be looked at not from a human perspective exclusively, but an all inclusive view of us as part of an objective reality to get a much clearer view of how crazy some cultures, societies, and their political and economic theories actually are, and how limited, manipulated and retarded many views really are which are being propagated in some of these parts of the world where unlimited freedom for multinational corporations to manipulate governments is being sold to us as democracy and global mind pollution and god delusion is being defended under the pretext of human rights ... but no body talks about the enormous human retardation to the development of the human mind from the activities of the Pentagon or the Vatican ...

I see it as high time we had a global revolution of the human mind to put these institution into the junk pile of intellectual growth and development!

Franto in Toronto

jandee 4 years ago from Liverpool.U.K

A few years ago I would have said most people were full of goodness. Now as we see murder by the state I think it's a'miracle'that anyone can remain good and pure. Even so I have to go back to my innate feelings and say that 'Evil' does not exist,

jandee

b. Malin 4 years ago

There will always be Good and Evil in this World...Of course we always hope the Good will prevail. I do think Society has been given too many Bad Movies, Violent Games and Bad Peer Influences. But in spite of this, we managed to produce Wonderful, Intelligent, souls who contribute and leave their impressions for Generations to come. This was a vey Interesting and certainly Thought Provoking Hub, Beata.

Problem is we've still got some of the primeval lurking inside us. The brain tells us to 'stand in line' and behave, but gut reaction says 'get out there, in front and s*d everyone else in the queue!' Sometimes primeval gets out of hand, hurtles at break-neck speed through the social 'mores' we live by, tells us to pick up the club and let rip. Some of us have done this more organised than others - like Stalin and Mao. They never let rip with the verbals like Hitler, Saddam Hussain or Pol Pot and we only found out what they got up to after their death. Some of us are like that, quiet, getting on with it like Dr Crippen, the others 'go to town' like the 'Ripper' in Whitechapel.

Nice pin-up, by the way!

loveofnight 4 years ago from Baltimore, Maryland

I honestly don't believe that there is anything new under the sun.Both good and evil has always been here in the measure that it is, I just believe that we are becoming more aware of it.With technology at every turn we are more aware of things because the access to that knowledge is so available.I would like to believe that there is more good than bad in the world.Todays youth play with games that blow someone's head off as it displays blood splatter and brains.War games and killing games are popular amongst them and then we want them to only see beauty.Are we guilty of leading them down the road that some are traveling because they did not start the journey by themselves.As my grandmother laid the ground work for my mother, my mother for me, we too have led the way for our kids or today's generation....

Gerg 4 years ago from California

Beautifully expressed. Of course, people are both good and evil. More importantly, we are individuals with the ability to act on either. Just in the last couple of days, my 16 year old daughter has expressed through a cause her passion for justice against evil; it shows me the strength of her heart, which makes me a proud father.

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

My dear fellow hubbers, I am speechless by your honesty, depth of thoughts and originality you brought to this question. Frieda Hughes once said: "The joy of poetry is that it distils the moment. It is a way of weaving diverse thoughts and ideas, images and metaphors into concentrated form. It is a mirror, both of the writer and the reader, and the reflection they each see might be quite different."

Thank you for bringing my 'narrative poem' to life...you have built so many mirrors in which our various opinions and experience reflect and in spite of our differences we all have one dream: '...to rekindle love and mutual respect, to awaken people to their fundamental goodness, and help them to see that the goodness exists in every person, doesn't matter if they believe in God or not, doesn't matter what faith they have or none....' Let to be 'light' and reading your responses I know it will:)

mackyi 4 years ago

I think there are good and bad in everyone!However,it appears as if the ratio of bad:good in each individual is somewhat different. Because of this difference in balance in evil versus good, some people turned out to be more evil than others.

The Frog Prince 4 years ago from Arlington, TX

Stasak - I've met truly evil people, and I mean evil, before and don't think that most people fit that particular mold. What I do see, and continue to see bred into people, is a selfishness. The "What's In It For Me" syndrome. Not really evil but extremely self-centered.

TFP

amillar 4 years ago from Scotland, UK

As you say - different shades, but maybe it's more like tapestry Beata, where colours and textures mingle and merge and where different circumstances and perceptions evoke different behaviour.

In other words, I haven't a clue what I'm on about, but I appreciate and admire the work you've done here.

Express10 4 years ago from East Coast

You have written a very interesting hub. I don't believe that people are born evil, people are taught this through their own environments, relatives, and friends. Most make bad choices that cause them (rightful) reprimand but at that point they continue making bad or even vengeful choices, proving themselves to be bad or less than ideal. There are also many people who are mentally ill who may or may not be helped. I believe that most people are somewhere between good and evil. However, if a person believes they can get away without anyone being the wiser, often they'll take the chance.

KimberlyLake 4 years ago from California

I think we are all born with tendencies,one may be a thrill seeker, one may play it safe, one may be a pessimist one and optimist. We all have the tendencies to be one way or another.

The bottom line, no matter what tendency we a born with, we have a choice (when mentally healthy) to have and live a peaceful life. Peace and love start in our mind and hearts and grow out from there. Whether we have peace in the world depends on each individual to do their part.

Great Hub. Voted up and SHARED.

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thank you again for another 'wave of insightful and honest explorations of good contra evil'. I believe, all good writing come from an examination of conscience. As a writer I feel a need to explore evil and love with equal assurance, because, as you all said, we have an equal measure of both....

FitnezzJim 4 years ago from Fredericksburg, Virginia

Well written article on a difficult topic. It is almost impossible to take any stance at all on answering the title question without triggering someone's hate and discontent reaction. This Hub has avoided that. Well done.

I would add that the perception of good or evil in any one person or any one act is often not based on the person or act themselves, but on how it is perceived by someone who holds a conflicting set of internal values that they live to.

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thank you Jim, sometimes 'the evil shadow' is apathy, weakness, a lack of backbone or courage in the faceof peer pressure. We want to be part of group and have a great desire for acceptance from our fellow human beings. So to go against grain of the group means we can end up isolated and shunned, something we humans fear. This is how 'mass evil shadows' play out, such as Nazism, Communism, Imperialism...and why prejudice and inequality exist even today, in our modern world....our heroes are usually those who stand up within their own people and point the finger at the wrongoing of their own....but I am somewhere else now...as you said, it is a question that can not be answered....but as you have done by yourself...opening new chapters in this topic and keeping this discussion alive is worthwhile...thank you and all the best:)

wba108@yahoo.com 4 years ago from upstate, NY

Here are some of my beliefs about the nature of man and the cause of wars.

James 4:1-3

"Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."

Here it says that the root cause of wars are due to the currupted heart of men. They aren't satified with what God supplies because of thier hearts are not right before God.

Roman's 3:10 says,"their is none righteous, no not even one

Genesis 6:5 says:"Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

I think its pretty clear here that the natural state of poeple is toward evil, only through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit can we be righteous.

somethgblue 4 years ago from Shelbyville, Tennessee

I would have to say that we are all born knowing the difference between good and evil we are only taught selfishness, greed and evil and many children rebel but most go along to get along.

I would submit to you, if you look at the Australian Aborigines or Native Americans as examples that left alone many human cultures will embrace goodness, harmony with nature and will not form concepts such as money, written language, land ownership, slavery, murder, greed and down right evil.

These concepts are taught by a very small few wishing to control the many. Does the OzTrailYain Government represent the people when they turn away refugees, is it a matter of resources or convenience?

Obviously there is plenty of land but how to feed everyone, if the current population did without or lived on less could the refugees be accepted, of course they could so perhaps it is more convenience than resources.

America throws away more food in one day than most countries eat in a day, if we stopped feeding our cows we could feed the whole world. Cows in America eat better than 5 BILLION people on this planet, convenience and greed which are taught!

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

thank you, 'wba...', although not religious, I admire your faith, that give you hope that human goodness previals.

Thank you 'somethgblue', it is probably both and also the fear of strangers that prevent Australians to open their doors and hearts to refugees....unfortunatelly, today it's not about dignity, or human rights, or compassion and love for each other, it is how we can claw our way to the top, about money you earn and spend...it is a consumer society and it is consuming us:)

somethgblue 4 years ago from Shelbyville, Tennessee

Indeed it is, if you live in Western Australia have you visited the site where the dolphins come in and commune with humans?

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

I have visited Bunbury Dolphin Centre and also Monkey Mia, but I often spot dolphins while kayaking or swimming near the Pinguin Island, where I live. They are very curious and come very close sometimes.

Do you subscribe to the theory that Dolphins and Whales were transplanted from another planet to Earth to help in our spiritual evolution?

Isn't it rather late in your part of the World?

healthwriterbob 4 years ago from United States

Hi Beata,

This is an excellent hub, full of thought-provoking comments about the way that life has become. I found it particularly significant that you mention the fact that world leaders have begun to realize that corporate profits, while still important, are not the only thing that matters to humanity. Things like sustainability, innovation and reform may not generate immediate profits, but they are the basis for a better life for all the peoples of the world. Voted up and interesting.

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Checked your 'Duck River' hub, dear 'somethgblue' and it is really awesome. There are so many theories to discover, so many thoughts to grasp...I realize we will never know everything, so I just enjoy learning and enjoy being while developing my sense of wonder and reaching out for my own little corner of the sky:)

Dear Bob, thank you for your encouraging comment, reading it, a short poem came to my mind, have to heard it somewhere:

'When will you all come, when will you all go,

to the end of the earth, to the Eastern slope,

a disaster,

a calamity,

to kill a person doesn't take half a grain of rice,

to save a person doesn't take half a strand of hair,

all come to help

for there is trouble

and distress

please,

all of you

come.'

Thank you for stopping by and happy to hear from you again:)

sasanka7 4 years ago from Calcutta, India

Really it is a great hub. You have raised a fundamental question that every sensible man thinks noticing the atrocities happening in the world. Humans are not basically evil. Everybody wants to lead a peaceful life with their family and also want to see others happy. A few people who lead the rest of the mankind make them beastly. War mongers all over the world make the world unrest and bring misery to others. Definitely we hope for the better world. If we cannot stop war the war will extinct us. Nice hub and also the pictures with beautiful description. Voted up.

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thank you Sasanka for valuing my answer on this fundamental question of our manking

so much, you are right, the majority of people want happiness and peace for everyone...the question is how to persuade those evil few to want the same, but with the decent human beings just like you, the persuasion doesn't feel so impossible:)

tammyswallow 4 years ago from North Carolina

I think if we look at people historically, I would have to say yes.. there is a great deal of evil in this world. When you consider genocide, slavery, racism, the things done to Native Americans and the state of the world today, I have to say yes there is evil. Great thought provoking and discussion starting hub!

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thank you, Tammy love to start good discussions on various contraversial topics...

Curiad 4 years ago from Lake Charles, LA.

There is not one thing that does not affect the other..

Thank you Beata, for this wonderful thought provoking article:

JKenny 4 years ago from Birmingham, England

A very insightful and thought provoking article, Beata. Evil can be a hard concept to define and analyse because you have people who commit evil acts, because they are genuinely bad people e.g. sociopaths; on the other hand you have people who do evil things, but believe they are acting for the good and the better. Voted up etc.

QualityContent 4 years ago

No, evil is a product of a persons environment. A person who grows up in a bad neighborhood and has no love, might turn out to be a gangster for example.

Evil is taught. A muslin radical teaches a young person about hating the West and how everything is their fault.

Now some people might have evil because of an inbalance in their brains, but most evil is learned.

suzettenaples 4 years ago from Taos, NM

What a powerful, powerful poem. It is really two poems together with the photos. Absolutely beautiful. I remember the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and Valclav Havel. He was a true hero. He brough true change to Chech. I visited Chech. when it was behind the Iron Curtin and Prague was a beautiful city even then.

Your orginal question - everyone has the capacity for good or evil. It all depends on which one we let out in this world. Our environment and experiences in life will allow more of one or the other to surface. It is the most important choice we have in life - to let out the good and help to change this world for the better - or to let out the evil, which in turn destroys all that is good. I know the choice I have made - the good and I too fight for justice for all everyday of my life. It is not easy. Freedom does not come freely.

move2move 4 years ago

We experience everything in 2 basical manners, a good one & a bad one. 1st because our dimension, our world is based on duality and 2nd because of this fact, we perceive each other as being separated when the truth actually is that we're not. The wrong understanding of how to use this polarities to help everybody to evolve correctly is just missing as fear is also taking place as we're mostly not really aware of our inner connection, this cause by the duality world we live in. So, unless we build a connection over what mean ever, similitudes, love of the same things ... same strength or same ideas, it will be hard for any"one" to see the "one" other as something else than an enemy or potential danger. The more you divide or are divided yourself, the more you're likely to hurt or be violent towards other with or without real justification. The more you connect, the more wars become impossible as you start to become more and more aware of the connection that has been there all along anyway. The disconnected way people are living is not their main nature, it's only the now main dominant flow until people become conscious of their common connection and take responsibility over it. Churches don't teach that because that would drastically drop their Club memberships and that .... Church-technically spoken is not "GOOD" for business! The division that we experience remains and the inability to recognize what's going on within ourselves makes it easy to keep us in a state of mind that is limited in sight and true understanding of other"ones", problems are destined to show up. But that might be the reason why we're experiencing all this; to see and understand what works best in order to make a better life for us 1st and for others by using theses to polarities, the negative & positive one. We're not basically evil or good Life just expands unconditionally and has in nature nothing to do with theses 2 polarities as such. We're rather spiritual by nature than just one of 2 polarities. You can use a knife to cut tomatoes and cook or to kill people ... fact is that one of the 2 guys behind the knife, didn't get the true meaning of the polarity they're using and that's the issue. By nature, we're something else (spirit) and what we are is closer to good than to evil.

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Wow! What can I say, my dear fellow hubbers, I am overwhelmed by your well researched and well thought responses...The painting always starts with the first stroke....the great writing starts with the starting line...The meaninfgul journey starts with the first step.....

My double-sided visual poem is just that first stroke, the first starting line, the first step...your responses make the picture whole and perfect:)

move2move 4 years ago

Well, Beata ... I guess your question is touching the pulse of time ;-)!

drantolic 4 years ago from Vancouver, Washington.

Freewill, with out the influence of God has always been guided by the Natural Man's desire to drive the survival of our race. First the desire to procreate and only then come man's desire for self preservation. Man may not be Evil but is definitely reduce to nothing more than an animal if God is not in the picture.

move2move 4 years ago

@ drantolic:

There's nothing & no living being in this whole Universe that hasn't God in the picture at all time. Most Human beings thought tend to behave in a way coming from overestimating themselves and their real value in comparison to the rest of the creation surrounding. And when looking how men treat the earth ... frankly, animals do a way better job in terms of sustainability and do at least not destroy their environment and/or aren't driven to do so ... that's less than the statue of an animal and we have huge track records for that, with no disrespect !!!

That's also meant for those spitting out the word "God" in every single sentence, thinking that this makes them spiritual but never take responsibility for their actions. It's always because "GOD" was or wasn't there, but it's never because of themselves. Well guess what, no matter what you choose to do in one or the other situation, no matter what the outcome of your choices will be or what the reasons may be that made you take theses decisions, you're watched and therefore this observer is always, and I really mean "ALWAYS IN THE PICTURE"! So, speaking of free will, there's no excuse about something or someone being or not in the picture that counts ... YOU are to blame for your wrong doings and have to learn from it, YOU are the one who got the credit for positive outcomes when you were behind a specific action in theses terms, not a spiritual entity you can blame for as soon it fits your personal concept. That just sounds like:

"Ooh, God wasn't there, when I did something wrong ...okey! Not my fault"

No, that kind of puts you out of responsibility and indirectly blames someone or something else than "YOU", just as if you didn't know what you were doing, acting like a so called "animal" as GOD wasn't there to Guide you ...

Com'on, gimme a break! I don't think that we need to downgrade "GOD" to the level of a babysitter, because that's exactly how it sounds. Just to easy that way not to take responsibility of your actions. Nobody is perfect of course, we get that and a learning curve definitely is part of our experiences, one of the reasons why we're down here. But talking of the absence or presence of God to justify our actions, that's just too easy & convenient!

S/he/it is always in the picture so, no excuses!

God definitely is supporting anyone who needs support or guidance, but she, he, it surely isn't in

the "picture" to babysit us ;)!!!

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thank you guys for your lively discussion, although I am not religious in a general way, I had a feeling you both 'rubbed one side of the same coin', your passion for this subject shines through:)

move2move 4 years ago

I am not religious either ...lol...!

Frankly, I firmly believe that in a general sense, people would be way better of without some Religions as they're not a condition for spirituality at all, rather the opposite. We do mistakes in all kind of situations and even someone we title with the name of "Evil" is able of "Goodness & Love" ...There are probably(surely) some exceptions but I tend to believe that this isn't the majority.

We have both sides within us and both are interacting constantly & inseparably to get us somewhere, now it's up to us to see how we use both polarities and to what end.

Indeed ... a lot of Lessons to be learned here :-)

move2move 4 years ago

P.S.: By th way, great Hub :*

Irob 4 years ago from St. Charles

Beata, very nice hub. In philosophy I remember a heated debate on man being a predatory and territorial species, bottome lins, this was in 1991 and meerkats were used as an example. for scoial behavior. Long before the Animal PLanets Meerkat Manor. ALso thank you for the compliment on my hub, I have finally done what people have been pestering me to do for a while, start writing again. WIll be reading more of your stuff as I am just starting to figure this whole thing out and am enjoying it. IT simply began as a way for me to make myself write again and share it with friends, like when I started way back when.

catgypsy 4 years ago from the South

I hate to say that I think the world is getting more violent and evil, but I believe it is. It's a very sad situation and I don't know what the answer is to it. Very interesting Hub!

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thank you my fellow hubbers for stopping by and leaving me so encouraging and genuine comments...good luck with hubbing and looking forward to hear from you again:)

hirundine 4 years ago from Nelson, B.C. Canada

@ move2move,

In general, I agree with your opinions. Certainly more understanding your point tof view. Thing is, I've read your posts a couple of times. You seem to have equated religion and the concept of evil as belonging to each other? You do not seem to have answered the question? You say, "I'm not religious either .... lol". However, Do you mean, you are not having a concept of a supreme being? Or that you do not follow any established one?

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Personally, I have my own idea about the creator and our purpose in life. It has, absolutely, little in common with with organized religion. I'm not here to speak to that. The question here is "do I think human beings, in general, are basically evil"?

While I think my earlier answer stands. I'm using this opportunity to expand a little.

No, I do not think that human beings are basically evil!

However, I do believe in the concept of Maya.Which means, to me, in our life we are being tested and the karma our actions reap govern our life or lives once we return to the void. We come into this world bearing the karma of past lives, to work our way through that fate and to create another fate for ourselves, after we die. For me, heaven and hell are right here on earth. It's all in our minds.

Carl Jung established early on in his career that, people are born with a religious personality.

Making it easy to sell the concepts of "God" within that framework of polar opposites ....... Good and Evil. When I look at the way people divvy up their ideas of an almighty. They seem to fall into three types? Monotheistic, Pandemic or Spiritual.

Then there are the deniers. "There is no such thing as god". Likely they're right? Because so far all the Hubble space telescopes in the world; will not find the elusive figure?

Good and evil are our own concepts, used to keep society in order. We have our personalities as defined by Meyer-Briggs and it's up to us to use what we are given to safely navigate through this life. Along the way we can become evil or good. Building the karma necessary for the next life, when we are given it. Can I prove it? No, of course not. But some things are necessary for us as creatures, to believe in.

The philosopher Plato is quoted as saying. "You do not need laws for the good and the bad will just find ways around them".

Lastly, what I find strange is in witchcraft. An evil spirit is summoned through a pentagon or five-pointy star. Every time you turn around there's another one ..... On a flag or government document or within a company logo. ...... now that makes me think twice; about why evil seems to be abroad. ...... Cheers!

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Cheers, my fellow hubber, I am not following any established religion but I am open to wisdoms from many and any religious or non religious, ancient or new sources:)

Plato was right as well as I see many truths hidden in your geniune and well thought comment, good and evil are our won concepts, but nearly everything theoretical is...we constantly label everything we don't understand fully in our lifes and then we try to make our own order around it...doesn't always work, does it...but we don't know any better, at least so far...

Witchcraft for me is one of the ancient beliefs based on the ancient wisdom used for individual and selfish purposes...people from the ancient time tend to 'bent ancient wisdom' to their own purposes and needs and keep rewriting the history according to it...look at the bible, the most read book of our time and how many times it was rewritten to suit the audience....we believe what we have created and it is not always right and it is not always for our benefit, but unfortunatelly we need to believe in something so sometimes anything is better than nothing:)

Great to connect with you and all the best:) B

move2move 4 years ago

@hirundine: Well actually I said it above but ok, if it wasn't clearly expressed on my side, than I do it now :D..lol...:

No, human beings aren't basically evil and you can recognize it every time people are in trouble on a massif scale; they help and support each other without even knowing each other. Concerning God as such, there's no need of an institution to tell the people what God is "supposed" to be. It's just that simple. You can worship the flower in the garden or the sun, the universe or the stars, the concept of love for the next or a God Within, it freaking doesn't matter as long it doesn't harm anyone. Though when applied to institutions, it doesn't look great when looking at the track records. Of course, I don't generalize and there're surely as much good religious men & women as there're people using religion to a certain goal that rather serves them than others, no matter what that goal is. I don't see how people who are part of a clergy, who for example had abusive behavior on young children & teenagers over and over again and are protected in some cases when they do, are supposed to show/tell/explain US THE People what/who God is when themselves are doing the most nonspiritual stuff around ... I don't want to offense anyone by saying that but, that's just the naked truth. But as I said, not all religious men or women are like that and I surely differentiate. I find it way more interesting to listen people who had experiences that brought them closer to something else than what we call the material world, the awareness of something bigger without the intend of institutionalize people to it because frankly ... there's no need for that. And if would ask me, you can recognize God in everything , even within yourself! But when realizing that ... what does that make the things you like at and/or you? I don't need a church to come to some conclusion of my own. Looking at the world just like it is and not putting everything into division, shows you a lot of things; you just need to dare, to do so. God is breathing in and out in/through everything and that doesn't need establishment. But that's my view of the question and everybody can see it as s/he likes of course :-)! Religions are taught to us and if Carl Jung established a specific point of view about that, well fine. Just as bright he was, nobody has absolutely to agree with his point of view, even more when the own experience shows it to be different. If God there is, well I tend to tell everyone following:

"Smile to yourself every morning in the mirror for few minutes when watching in your own eyes and watch what happens ... "

People are not taught into symbolism at all for example and why this is, that is pretty obvious to me. I know some people will disagree with a lot of what I am saying and that's ok (same the other way around..) but why am I asked to "Believe" in something that I am aware of to just "BE" and that everywhere I turn my sight on or feel within me? Awareness is key & Believes, I just have 1 and that's that "I can". From there, everything is possible and using that believe to help others and/or yourself as far that you indeed can, I dare to say that this is a good way of doing things from the very little to the biggest. Just be happy and make happy no matter what you believe. It's also a question of what you focus on even if the result sometimes might not come the way you wanted. But that's the learning curve in action and your opportunity to affine what you do and/or fix what you did wrong in case you did. No matter how you define God or want to, you'll be right at some extend as s/he/it will be present & breathing behind what you defined to be s/he/it too in one way or the other but not limited to it ... does that make sense ?!

The Bad is really a question of dividing stuff with no end at sight. But finding similarities in the difference and build a bridge to it to make it one within the difference .. that's a good thing is not meant to change the so called "Other side".

That's why paradoxically sounding, I can go in whatever church of any religion and have no issue as God is in all of them and I don't need to believe in order to know.

Wo/Men aren't Evil by nature, but Evil wants them because of who they are ..

P.S: Very interesting point you mention about witchcraft, also a point I also always wonder about the symbolism of many things that surround. Pretty intersting is the hub of Beata and your answer hirundine

hirundine 4 years ago from Nelson, B.C. Canada

Beata,

Thank you for your comments. You are obviously a hard worker and a person who cares for others. Along with an open mind and a warm demeanour. ....... rock on girl! Cheers Jamie

hirundine 4 years ago from Nelson, B.C. Canada

move2move,

Thank you for your critique and answer. I do like your reply and see where I missed your point previously. You go on, to make some interesting points; most of which i see as relevant.

I re-iterate. People are of a religious nature as defined by Carl Yung and the science of personality was developed by Jung and Meyer-Briggs.

It is this personality, which, appears to me, fundamental to the way we act and perceive our world. It is the personality that allows for people with little sense of morality and others with an exaggerated sense.

The use of our basic religious sense. Has been and will continue to be; used by the amoral as a means to power and by extension, control.

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Hi Jamie, thanks for following my answer, 'we are what we are...and we just need to make the best of it and on the way looking for the answers for those 'important unanswerable to us questions'....will they be ever all answered? No...Will we keep looking for answers?...Oh, yes, we long so much to know...everything...that is what propels us forward:)

jamila sahar 4 years ago

great interesting hub with lots of lively comments, it deeply saddens me when i see the violence and as you stated 'evil' in the world, yet this world also has lots of beauty as well. if only people could be accepting and respectful of other people's beliefs, and change their perspective, with an open mind to learning and sharing ideas and knowledge, then that would perhaps erradicate a lot of unnecessary violence and destruction in the world. voted up

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

Dear my fellow hubber, with people just like it may be once possible...all the best with yoru hubbing and looking forward to hear from you again:)

tamarawilhite 4 years ago from Fort Worth, Texas

No, we're not basically evil - but we are basically animals unless we are trained up to morality.

Beata Stasak 4 years ago from Western Australia Author

It should be compulsory, then, the basic training in morality for everyone, I think many people are missing out on this type of training:) Interesting point of vies, Tamara... thanks for stoping by and all the best with hubbing:)

actionbronson 3 years ago

I think humans are born pure, calm and innocent but systematically are getting greedier.

somethgblue 3 years ago from Shelbyville, Tennessee

I agree with bronson, folks are born 'knowing' the difference between right and wrong but are conditioned to believe lies, which leads them to make a choice either accept the lies and go along with society or rebel and begin a life of isolation.

This is how most of humanity is conditioned into believing lies, look at the recent story about Brontosauruses for over one hundred years we have been conditioned by science to accept the lie that this creature existed, but science knew it was a lie in 1910 and did nothing about it.

Now 100 years later the truth comes out, gimme a break . . . this is just a small example of the lies.

I don't buy that story for one second, lies, lies, lies and we buy from childhood or get ostracized from society if we say yeah but. . . ?

Beata Stasak 3 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thank you for your interesting inputs, my fellow hubbers, we agree to disagree, the variety of choices and opinions we have is also one the human sides and it is so useful, not everything about us is evil...maybe if we look at ourselves with those 'evil, everything is negative' eyes....than yes:)

cianeko 3 years ago

What a meaningful message! Thank you Ms. Stasak for sharing this interesting topic about the humanity. I believe man urgently needs these types of enlightenment. Voted up!

Beata Stasak 3 years ago from Western Australia Author

Thank you, cianeko for stopping by and leaving me so enlightened message, we are not lost, not yet anyway:) All the best with your hubbing and looking forward to hear from you again:)